Teacher

Simmeon Chanka has always had an affinity to the ocean. As a child, he loved going to the beach, whether it be here in New York or in his homeland, Trinidad and Tobago. Learning to swim at the age of nine, he would take advantage of any opportunity he could to immerse himself in water, pushing himself to reach new depths and test his limits. However, learning to swim was only the beginning of his aquatic endeavors. At age thirteen he joined the Metropolitan Sharks swim team for New York City Parks and Rec, where he competed for four years and later became a lifeguard. Believing that swimming was only the first step in truly enjoying the wonders of the ocean, he obtained his scuba license. Awed by the vast wildlife and mystique of the ocean, he became a docent at the New York City Aquarium where he currently shares his passion with the public and teaches about the wonders of the deep blue depths. Captain of the PSAL cross country team in high school, he has continued running during his freshman year as a Macaulay student at Hunter College. Hoping to instill his love of the ocean and physical fitness into his students, Simmeon is excited to share all that he has learned about aquatics as an instructor at Imagine.